Spinning spindle and method of lubricating same



June 23, 1936. l R. REDDIE SPINNING SPINDLE' AND METHOD 0F LUBRICATINGSAME `Filed Aug. 11, r1933 Patented June 2.3.., 1936 l l UNITED4 STATESsPnvNlNG sPmnLE AND METHOD 0F 'Lunrca'rmGsAnm ,my pedine, Knoxville,Tenn.

\ Application August- 11,-1933, Serial No. 684,714

2 claims. (ci. sos-169) This invention relates to spindle bolsterassemblies for textile spinning frames, and has for its objects toincrease the speed of operation of the spindles, decrease the wear ofthe parts, and hence the cost for replacement, and decrease the cost ofoperation of the spindles. It has been proposed heretofore to mount thespindle proper in a bolster having perforatedlateral walls and carriedby a suitably supported casing, the spindie having a prolonged bearingin the bolster and a bottom step or bearing, also in the bolster, forthe lower end of the spindle. With this assembly `means have beenprovided for furnishing a sup# ply of cil from a. suitable reservoirfrom which the oil ows downward around the bolster, and through theperforations to the interior thereof to lubricate the spindle. In somecases it has A been proposed to circulate the oil that has reached thespindle in an upward direction between a portion of the spindle and thebolster until the oil overflows the upper end of the bolster and returnsto the reservoir. In no case, however, has oil ever been supplied -to`the bot torn of the bearing of the spindle in an imperforate bolstenandcirculated in an upward direction over -the entire bearing portion ofthe spindle and back to the bottom bearing. Efforts to lubricate thestep of the spindle from above by a flow of oil downward between thebolster wall and the spindle have proved highly ineffective, resultingin friction between the lower end speed of operation of spindles, to theend thatv the cost of operation may bereduced," but the resultingfriction, wear and overheating of the parts as described above hasplaced a positive limit on such increase, as well as resulting'in anunnecessary consumption of power inl the operation of the spindles.

One of the primeobjects of the present inven-` tion is to so constructand lubricate the bearings between the spindle and the bolster as toavoid friction, overheating of the parts, and the necessityfor repairs,and at the same time greatly increase the speed over anything heretoforeat-' tained, at a less consumption of power.

With this object in view; according to the present invention, oil iscaused fto ow upward, rather than downward, to the bearing step in thebolster for `une iower ena of the spmme.' and then circulate upwardaround the bearing portion of spindle,

the spindle at the top of `the bolster, where the same overflows thebolster within the casing and returns to be again fed upward as before.Preferably, the bearing step in the bolster is in the form of aninverted'cone, and an oil duct leads upward to the bottom' of said cone.Oil is supplied from a suitable reservoir mounted at a proper height,tothe end that the oil may pass downward between the bolster and thecasing a point Vwhere it flows outward over the top' of the'bolster anddescends around the latter to again be supplied to the duct leadingupward to 20 the spindle bearing.

-One formwhich the invention may assume isillustrated in theaccompanying drawing, but it is to be expressly understood that su'chdrawing is for the purpose of illustration only and is not designed todene the limits of the invention,

reference being had to the appended claims( for this purpose. l

In said drawing- Fig. 1 is a perspective view 1 Fig. 2 is'arvertical,central section of the assembly; Fig. 3 is a like view of the lower endof the partsfshowing a modification of the form shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal, sectional plan view on the lines H of Fig. 2;'

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one form of the bolster embodying thepresent invention.

Referring to said drawing, in which like reference numerals indicatelike parts throughout the several views, i indicates, the usual or anysuitable frame on which the spindle assembly isv mounted; 2 indicates asupporting casing secured in the frame I, as by means of a nut 3. Thespindle l takes bearing in the bolster 5, supported in the casing 2, oneform. of the bolster being shown in Fig. 5. As here shown, the bolsterii is cylindrical form and is` provided with a key 6,

entering a corresponding groove on the interior of the casing, wherebyrevolutionof the bolster is prevented. v

As shown, the interior bore of the bolster is also cylindrical, but itmay taper slightly downward with a taper slightly less than that of theA The spindle is provided with the usual or any suitable whirl 'lsecured to the spindle at a point above the bolster, while thespindle isprovided with an annular shoulder 8, at' a point of a spindle mountedaccording to the present invention;

Cil

above the bolster and serves to close the top of the casing which casingextends above the top of the bolster. The spindle II is also providedwith a second annular'shoulder 8 of the same cuter diameter as thebolster 5, and when the spindle is in position this shoulder restslightly on the top of the bolster so as to permit a lm of oil to passover the top of the bolster when the spindle is in operation. As shown,this shoulder 8' is formed by a ring 8 secured to the upper part of thespindle stem 4'. The bearing portion 4' of the spindle is slightlytapered downward, that is, the

portion of the spindle within the bolster, and the bolster is providedwith a bearing step 9, which is in the form of an inverted cone. 'I'helower bearing point 4" of the spindle is also in the form of an invertedcone 4corresponding to the inverted cone 9 forming the bearing step.When the spindle is mounted within the bolster with the lpoint 4"resting in the bearing 9, the bearing below the bearing step 9 of thebolster and may,

as shown in Fig. 2, ow downward to the bottom of the bolster and enter avertical axial duct I2 leading up to and communicating with the lowerapex of the bearing step 9. In a modiedfoi-m (see Fig. 3) the oil flowsdownward around the bolster 5 to an annular groove I3 formed in thebolster at a point below the bearing step for the spindle, and a duct I4leads inward from said groove Il and then upward to the apex of thebearing step 9. Preferably the bolster is provided with a plurality ofgrooves I5 formed in its ex-A terior surface and leading downward forsome distance from the upper end of the bolster, as will be readilyunderstood from an inspection of Fig. 5. The top of the reservoir I isclosed by the usual or any suitable doier guard I6 hinged v thereto toenable the oil to be supplied to the reservoir. p

Preferably the bolster is made in three parts, consisting of a centralseamless steel tube 5', a lower portion 5" oi promet alloy and an upperportion 5"' also of promet alloy. The promet alloy aiords an idealbearing surface, and the use of the central seamless steel tubing'connecting these promet alloy parts lessens the co-st of theconstruction. Cil introduced into the reservoir I0 flows down by gravityaround the outside of the bolster and between the bolster. and theinterior surface of the casing 2, and, in the construction shown in Fig.1, flows to the bottom of the bolster and upward through the axial boreI2 to the apex of the conically shaped bearing vstep 9. When the spindleis set in operation, the

oil is forced upward from the bearing step 9 by centrifugal action andcontinues upward around the tapered spindle to the top of the bolster,and then flows over the top of the bolster within, the

casing and downward through the grooves I5 to be again returned to thebottom of the bolster and 'fed upward by centrifugal action as before..

In its course of travel, the oil forms a constant film between thebearing point 4" of the spindle and the conical'bearing step Q as wellas 'a constant nlm of oil between the taper of the spindle The rebe asmuch as 25 per cent. This increase in speed v is obtained without wearand consequent deterioration of the parts; without overheating of theparts and burning of the oil; and with consumption of less power thanhas been heretofore required to operate thespindle at the lower rate ofspeed with the resulting friction, wear and overheating of the parts.

By the present invention, by feeding the oil to the bottom of thebearing step, either as shown in Fig. l or Fig. 3, the oil is circulatedin a closed circuit around the bearing portion of the spindle within thebolster and must, of necessity, pass between the bearing step in thebolster and the bearing po-int of the spindle. The result is that allbearing points are elciently lubricated, and constantly kept out ofContact with the bearings i in the bolster by reason of the lm of oilinterposed between said points and the bearing and hence, friction, wearand overheating are obviated.

It will be readily recognized by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications of the inventive idea may be employed without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, that is, without departing from theidea of supplying the oil to the bottom of the bearing seat in animperforate bolster and feeding it upward in a closed circuit by meansof the revolution of the spindle, and such modications as fall withinthe terms of the appended 'claims are intended to be covered thereby.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

-1. In a, spindle mounting, the combination of a casing, a bolster withimperforate lateral walls mounted within said casing with its top belowthe top of the casing and with a passage for oil between the interior of.the casing and the exterior of the bolster and leading from the top ofthe bolster to the base portion of said bolster, said bolster having acone shaped bearing in the base portion thereof and a passage leadingupward to the bottom of said bearing and connecting to the bottom ofsaid bearing with the oil passage between the bolster and casing, aspindle taking bearing wholly within said bolster, and means supplyingoil to the space between said casing and bolster.

2. In a spindle mounting, the combination of a casing, a bolster withimperforate lateral walls mounted within said casing with its top belowthe top of the casing and with a passage for oil between the interior ofthe casing and the exterior of the bolster and leading from the top tothe base portion of said bolster, said bolster having a cone shapedbearing in the base portion thereof and a passage leading upward to thebottom of said bearing and connecting the bottom of said bearing withthe oil passage between the bolster and casing, a spindle taking bearingwholly within said bolster and provided with a shoulder closing the topof said casing and an annular shoulder within the top of said casing`and closely adjacent to the top of the bolster, and means supplying oilto the space between said casing and bolster. ROY REDDIE.

